Check out this coincidence, the image on the cover of the new Crustacean Records DVD is an obvious nod to Batman and the DVD is being released on the same weekend that the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, hits the screen. What do you think of them apples?

Anyway, another summer weekend in Madison means another busy weekend in Madison. Maxwell Street Days starts today and runs until Sunday all up and down State Street. If you were wondering how State Street construction might impact the festival of consumption, no worries, a check yesterday revealed things were rather nicely cleaned up and sidewalk space will be readily available. In addition to downtown shopping, the Dane County Fair is in full gear at the Alliant Energy Center with plenty of fun for the whole family. Pride Fest kicked off last night at the High Noon and continues until Sunday with events all over the city. Other than that, as always, we have a boatload of music to check out.

Friday

Indie Coffee on Regent Street does a pretty good job at flying under the music radar here in Madison. I try to remember to check the coffeehouse's listings each week and I'm always surprised by some of the artists that perform in their very intimate space. Tonight they have Chicago's Them Damn Kids who produce a menagerie of music seemingly collected from both rural and urban Americana. The duo is nakedly engaging in the same way that one is drawn into the likes of Cat Power or Elliot Smith. They start the night off at 8 p.m.

In 2004 The New Year dropped The End is Near on Touch and Go Records. The album would finish out the year on my personal top 10 albums of 2004 list and to this day receives consistent annual rotations in my CD player...and yes...I still use a CD player (but who could have predicted that a day would come when typing "CD player" would make me feel the same way I feel when I write the word "mixtape"?) The New Year was formed by Matt and Bubba Kadane who were also behind the brilliant electric guitar heavy Bedhead. The Kadane Brothers will be at the High Noon tonight signs the rest of their The New Year line-up and will be joined by Bottomless Pit. The latter is made up of the remaining members of seminal indie rock act Silkworm who lost lead singer Michael Dahlquist in a car accident in 2005. Matt Kadane spent some time on keyboards with Silkworm. Opening is Madison's El Valiente. 10 p.m.

The Memorial Union Terrace is offering up a stripped down version of the Pitchfork Music Festival tonight featuring Icy Demons, Extra Golden, Fleet Foxes, and A Hawk and a Hacksaw. Dane101 has more on the show here. Starts at 5:30 p.m.

What I learned today. There exits a thing called the Encyclopaedia Metallum. I'm not a metal fan, per se, but I do appreciate and respect the culture of metal, mostly because of the theatrics and the album and band names that come with said culture. Encyclopaedia Metallum, an encylopedia of metal, equals awesome. What does this have to do with anything? Not much. I came across Encyclopaedia Metallum while seeking more information on the Imperial Battlesnake who will be performing at the Frequency tonight. The Encyclopeadia fails to inform me on what the band sounds like, but at least it has given me a clue, they are metal. To me, Imperial Battlesnake should be the code name for a COBRA agent in G.I. Joe, and it turns out, I may not be far off. Further researching brings me to FameCast where they write about Imperial Battlesnake thusly:

Saturday

Colony of Watts was the first local band ever mentioned on dane101 when we previewed the angular rock band's debut album during the first week of our inception. Today I;'m saddened to write that CofW will be playing their final show on Saturday at the Frequency. The band puts on one of the most face rocking shows in town so if you haven't been the recipient of the force that is Colony of Watts yet, don't miss this show. They'll be joined by the Blind Shakes and Driftless Pony Club. 10 p.m.

As mentioned yesterday on dane101 Crustacean Records is unveiling a new DVD Saturday night at the Majestic Theatre. The DVD isn't simply a look at the bands that make up the small Midwestern label, but it also acts as an homage to the sound and style that is very uniquely Madison, Wisconsin. It screens at 8 p.m. followed by performances by Skintones, Mad Trucker Gone Mad, the Gusto, and Screamin' Cyn Cyn and the Pons.

The Mad Rollin Dolls face off against a bunch of cake eaters, the Charm City Roller Girls. After the boutthey'll head to an afterparty at the High Noon featuring The Kickbacks, Fourth year Freshman, and The Wanderers. Bout at 7 p.m. and afterparty at 9:30 p.m.